Improvement in book-clamps



H. O. BAILEY.

Book-Clamp.

No. 203,576. Patented May 14, I878.

d 2 9 & J7 m J I V W a o I a v l/l ,2

1 1 3. qll I v d Inventor.-

NfETERS. FNOTO-LITHOGRAPHgR. WASHINGTON, D c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY O. BAILEY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN' BOOK-CLAMPS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 203,576, dated May 14, 1878 application tiled October 2, 1877.

riers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form apart of this specification, in which- Figure 1 represents a side elevation of my improved book-clamp as applied to a couple of books, and Fig. 2 a similar view of the clamp detached, ready to receive the books. Fig. 3

represents a plan View of my improved clamp, the cam-handle resting in the position shown in Fig. l.

The main object of my invention is to provide a simple and eflicient book-clamp for the use of children in carrying their books to and from school.

The invention consists in the use of a peculiarly-constructed combined cam and handle, in connection with a binding-strap and two clamp plates or boards, in the manner to be hereinafter set forth, whereby, when applied to the books, they are held securely in place while being carried about from place to place.

To enable those skilled in the art to make and construct my invention, I will now proceed to describe its parts in detail.

In the drawings, A represents cam-handle,

formed of two principal parts, of which the upper part a constitutes the handle by which the package is carried, and the lower part b the cam by which the strap is tightened and held in place when the books are in place. The two are formed in one piece, and are provided with an axial arm, 0, which, at its middle, has a boss or hub, d, which enables it to turn, when in place, on a pivotal pin, f, which, for this purpose, is mounted in suitable openings formed in the upper end of two standards, 0, that are erected upon and secured to the upper side and at or near the middle of the upper clamp plate or board B, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2.

The cam-handle A is mounted upon the pivotal pin f between the standards c, in the manner illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3.

The standards 6 are made of such height with respect to the cam when mounted, and its eccentricity, as that, when the latter is turned as shown in Fig.1, it will tightly compress the binding-strap D between its face and the outer face of the upper clamp-plate B, on which the standards are mounted. The form of the cam 11 and its arrangement with respect to the outer face of clamp B are such that the moment it is moved or commences to move from the position it occupies in Fig. 2 toward the position it has assumed in Fig.1 it begins to draw on the strap D, and as the movement progresses tightens the latter, and thereby compresses the clamps B and 0 against the books inclosed between them, and when it has fairly assumed the position shown in Fig. 1 tightly holds the strap in that position.

B represents the upper and O the lower, clamp plate or board, and may be made of any suitable form and material. In each end of these plates is cut a slot or, if desired, a simple deep notch in the ends of the plates may be substituted therefor.

D represents the strap through which the pressure is exerted upon the plates and books. The form of the strap is not material; but a flat strap of leather is preferred. This strap, at one end, h, is secured to one end of the upper side of the upper plate B in any suitable or well-known way. I Its free end iis then passed througlrthe slot 0 of upper plate B, thence through slot 0 of plate 0, whence it is led along the under side of the latter to its other end, and thence passed through slot 0 in the latter, and from there up" through slot 0' in the other end of plate B, whence it is carried along the upper side of the latter, between it and the cam A b, to the point of beginning, as fully shown in Fig. 2. In this condition it is ready to receive the books intended to be clamped. The books having been inserted, the strap is partially tightened by hand, a little slack, as in Fig. 2, being left. The cam b is then turned by handle at until it assumes the position shown in Fig. 1, when the operation is complete and the books ready for transportation by the handle A a.

If desired, a spring'or pivoted drop-catch may be attached to either of the standards e, and a notch cut on the edge or side of the cam b, in such "manner as to engage with each other when the handle A a and cam A b is in the position shown in Fig. 1. Such an arrangement of devices will prevent any possibility of the strap becoming loose by an accidental turning of the cam 12 from any cause whatsoever. The cam b and handle a may, if desired, be connected together by a simple arm running directly from the one to the other, without the aid of a peripheral connection, m, as shown in the drawings; or the same may be effected in any other suitable and known manner.

Having described my invention, I claim- The cam-handle A, consisting of the handle a and cam b, constructed substantially as de- I HENRY O. BAILEY.

Witnesses WILLIAM S. LINcoLN, W. R. EVANS. 

